AKC and California fanciers scored a major victory when AB342, which would have prohibited hunting with dogs or training for that purpose, was soundly rejected in committee by a vote of 19-0. The bill was granted reconsideration as a courtesy to the author, meaning it could possibly come before the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee again before next January. In all likelihood, however, the author would not be able to garner the necessary votes for passage, and AKC will alert fanciers if any additional activity becomes apparent.
As originally written, AB342 would have made it illegal for any dog to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill any mammal, or to train a dog for such purposes. Many AKC performance events including earthdog, tracking, coonhound, herding, lure coursing, and field trial events could have been prohibited. A companion dog simply chasing a squirrel in the backyard would also have been in violation of the law. An amended version focused more specifically on using dogs to hunt bears and bobcats, but it was widely opposed by AKC and sportsmen's groups who fear the gradual chipping away of hunting/field activities.
Congratulations to the many concerned fanciers who answered AKC's call to action by contacting their representatives and urging them to reject this bill. Your success is a testament to a strong grassroots network!
For more information, contact:
AKC Canine Legislation Department
919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org
CA Federation of Dog Clubs
1-800-498-3746, ext. 106 or shojudge@aol.com
AKC and California fanciers scored a major victory when AB342, which would have prohibited…